What's the best way to emulsify hard-to-reach spilled diesel: (a) hot soapy water (b) baking soda and vinegar (c) kitty or shop litter (d) other The fuel tank top came loose on my Hunter 29.5, spilling diesel into a remote "secret" bilge tucked between the fuel and holding tank, but way down below. I have to remove the holding tank line just to gain access through a 2-inch hole. From there I can pump out as if I were changing the oil. Thanks.
- Status
Tide and Hot Water.
Bill: I would start with some detergent like Tide and hot water. Pour this into the area and take the boat for a ride. The movement of the boat will help remove the crud. Then you can clean it out of the bilge. Some of the citrus cleaners may also be a good second treatment.
Bill: I would start with some detergent like Tide and hot water. Pour this into the area and take the boat for a ride. The movement of the boat will help remove the crud. Then you can clean it out of the bilge. Some of the citrus cleaners may also be a good second treatment.
Detergent first
Bill, I was in a petroleum-based fluids business for many years. If you've got diesel down there use pure liquid detergent with no added water. Detergent's chemical make-up starts with petroleum molecules and then modifications happen to the molecule ends so they are also attractive to water. The first thing you want to do is get pure detergent into the bilge and mix it up thoroughly with the diesel. Try to use a long rod to stir it, or hook a long, flexible rod onto the end of a drill motor and mix it. Once it's mixed you can pump it out. Then you can add water to the bilge, mix again and pump out again. You can do that over and over to get it all out, but the first crucial step is to get as much of the diesel mixed thoroughly with detergent as possible. This is the same reason laundry stain sticks work so well on grease stains - they scrub detergent into the grease, which can then be mixed into water. Hope that helps. Mike
Bill, I was in a petroleum-based fluids business for many years. If you've got diesel down there use pure liquid detergent with no added water. Detergent's chemical make-up starts with petroleum molecules and then modifications happen to the molecule ends so they are also attractive to water. The first thing you want to do is get pure detergent into the bilge and mix it up thoroughly with the diesel. Try to use a long rod to stir it, or hook a long, flexible rod onto the end of a drill motor and mix it. Once it's mixed you can pump it out. Then you can add water to the bilge, mix again and pump out again. You can do that over and over to get it all out, but the first crucial step is to get as much of the diesel mixed thoroughly with detergent as possible. This is the same reason laundry stain sticks work so well on grease stains - they scrub detergent into the grease, which can then be mixed into water. Hope that helps. Mike
- Status